


The Final Spark

by Winterose



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Demacia, F/M, League of Legends lore, The Ancient Mystery in Runeterra, The Final Spark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-01 04:16:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8607199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winterose/pseuds/Winterose
Summary: Lux is a daughter of a noble family in Demacia. She is talented, proud and loves playing with light. One day she meets a young man from Piltover, who has some sense of humour and same kind of powers as Lux. As they meet again and again, the two of them start to enjoy each others company.





	1. The First Sparkles

**Author's Note:**

> This is how I imagine Ezreal and Lux's story might have gone, how they met and so on.

The evening sun shone bright upon the white buildings of Demacia. Luxanna walked with light steps on the street and let her eyes wander around. All around her people were getting ready for the Festival of Light. It was a summer-event of three days with spectacular plays at the Golden Round, great feast at every home, market square full of paper-lanterns and sparklers, children and adults all having fun and enjoying their time. The three days of festival ended with a great firework show in the capital, Demacia.

It was easy to see that the Festival of Light drew up people even from afar. She could even see some yordles scurry in the middle of humans, and Lux knew that some great firework experts were called from Piltover, the city of progress to guide the Demacians in charge of firework show.

_ I can’t wait to see the light show, _ Lux thought as she turned around the corner. The Festival of Light was held only once in six years, so it was a big deal to all of Demacia. The Festival of Light was for peace, love and to praise the light, both of the sun and the one guiding every Demacian on their path in life. No duels were allowed during the festival, and if possible, all the military action was to be on a break. No missions during the festival, no training, only those in charge of safety were to be at work.

_ It means free time for me, _ Lux smiled out to nowhere and breathed deep in.  _ I can be sure of that I have free time the next five days, at least. Maybe even more, since it has been quite peaceful with military. _

Turn around the corner made Lux bump right into someone and fall to the ground. Surprised, Lux looked up to the person she had run into. It was a young man, or boy, whichever, with dark blonde hair and a worn-out leather jacket.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention”, he said and gave Lux a hand to help her up. “Did you get hurt?”

“No, I didn’t”, she answered and accepted the help. “You don’t look local. Where are you from?”

“Piltover city”, the young man said as he helped Lux up. 

“Are you one of those firework experts?” Lux asked, peeking at the goggles on top of the man’s head, cleaning up her clothes at the same time.  _ White catches the dirt so easily, _ she thought.

“Luckily not”, the man laughed. “I came here last week due to my research on an artifact I found on my last journey to Shurima desert, but I think I’ll have to take a break over the festival.”

“You better do”, Lux smiled at him. “It’s an event you don’t want to miss. The whole city is lit up with blue and white and golden lanterns, so that the whole city glows with the colours of Demacia.”

“Really?” the man looked interested. “I want to see that! Is the light made up with magic or candles?”

“With magic fire”, Lux answered without a moment of thinking. “It is safer and makes a brighter light.”

“I should’ve guessed that”, the young man grinned. “By the way, my name’s Ezreal.”

“I’m Lux.”

“Nice to meet you”, Ezreal gave her a half-smile, half-grin. “I guess your name fits you.”

Lux studied Ezreal’s face.  _ Why is that I can’t tell what he’s thinking? _ she wondered.

“Thank you”, she finally said, smiling in the way she used to smile when she questioned people during missions. It was a smile that usually made people feel uneasy, for the smile was pretty as she was, yet her eyes told otherwise. They were intelligent eyes, making the smile look more wicked than innocent.

“At least you know how to take compliments”, Ezreal laughed. “Well, I better get going. I want to finish a book today, so that I can enjoy the festival at peace.”

Before Lux had time to say a thing, Ezreal was gone. Lux continued her walk towards her home, soon forgetting the young Piltovian she had met. She only found herself wishing that Garen would be home for the festival.

_ He hasn’t been home for years now,  _ Lux bit her lip.  _ But it’s stupid to lose hope of him returning. I know that someday, when I get home from a mission, my brother waits me there. When he has done whatever he went after.  _

But when she returned home, she only met her parents in the living room with some friends of them. Luxanna peeked in, and when her father didn’t ask her to join them even when he noticed her standing there, she quietly left and went to her own bedroom.  _ No Garen yet today, _ she thought bitterly.  _ But he will come back, I know it. He wouldn’t go out there dying, it’s not the way my brother lives. _

Lux sat next to the big window in her room, watching out in the distance where the sun set behind the white houses of marble and stone, reflecting light and making the city glow lightly orange, as if there was a fire that coloured up the city. 

_ Sunlight has the magic of its own, _ Lux thought, giving a small smile out to nowhere. She raised her hand, lifted a finger and caught a bit of light, making it dance around in the human shape, like a tiny fairy dancing around through the air, leaving little sparkles where it moved.

_ I want to dance through the darkness like that ray, lighting up the way for anyone to follow. To lead the Demacia to victory of its enemies, _ Lux closed her eyes and let the light-fairy disappear,  _ and bring everyone home, victorious, to end all the wars. It would be great. _

 

The following morning Lux woke up earlier than the sun had risen. 

_ I want to see the sunrise from the tower, _ she thought and got up quickly. She dressed up, caught a couple of fruits and a piece of bread from the kitchen and quietly ran out of the house. She hurried through the empty streets, with fast, light steps. If anyone was to see, they would’ve said that she reminded a cat or a leaf; so light, so elegant and smooth as she dashed around the corner, another, and finally reached the stairway of the highest guarding tower of Demacia.

_ I made it, _ Lux smiled excited, running up the stairs two and three at a time. The top of the tower was empty, as most of the guards were patrolling around the gates more than on top of the towers.

Lux leaned on the edge of the wall that surrounded the tower. The blue of the night was fading as the sun started rising from the eastern side of Demacia. The shadows got lighter by every minute and the skyline began to turn yellow and light pink.

“Didn’t expect to see you here.”

Lux flinced and turned quickly around. There, on top of the stairs, stood Ezreal, leaning to the door frame and smiling a bit crooked. Lux was confused. She hadn’t heard Ezreal come up and the ease he chit-chatted with her made her feel uneasy.

“Good morning, Ezreal”, she said, giving him a reserved smile. “How did you find this place?”

“This isn’t my first visit to Demacia”, Ezreal answered and walked to Lux’s side, lening to the wall of the tower. His left hand had a glove of metal that shone in the morning light. “I wanted to see sunrise this morning, since I was already awake.”

Lux looked past him, to the skyline where the sky took brighter colours as the sun got higher up in the distance. She could tell that the day would be warm. The two of them stood in silence, watching how the sun slowly came out behind the buildings and lit the world up.

_ His hair reflects the light in a funny way, _ Lux thought as her eyes began to wander around.  _ They are darker blonde than my own hair, but not less golden. They look like straw. _

Ezreal turned around and smiled at Lux.

“The sun might be the same, but the views  _ are _ different depending on where you look at it”, he said. “White marble gives sunrise more peaceful look than over the sand of Shurima desert.”

“Have you been to Shurima?” Lux asked, meeting the young man’s eyes again.

“Among many other places”, he answered. “I’m an adventurer, you know. I go where anyone else doesn’t dare to lay a foot. Maybe a bit of an archaeologist, too.”

“Who exactly are you?” Lux asked, knitting her brows. Ezreal peeked at her from the corner of his eye.

“I’m Ezreal, the Grandmaster Explorer of Piltover, an archeologist and main cartographer of Piltover city”, he told.  _ He is way too young to be any of those, _ Lux thought, but the way Ezreal spoke and looked at her made Lux trust in his word. “And who are you, more than just a girl in Demacia?” Ezreal tilted his head curiously.

“I am Luxanna Crownguard”, she answered, though inside she questioned why she trusted in this young man. “The daughter of Crowguard family and a member of the military of Demacia.”

“Isn’t Crownguard one of those Demacian noble families?” Ezreal asked, knitting his brows this time. Lux nodded and Ezreal looked thoughtful.

“Why?” Lux felt something was wrong in Ezreal’s thought at the moment. The young man met Lux’s eyes and shook his head.

“Nothing, I just think I have heard that name before. But it might be in some old stories, since Crownguard is a family of long history in Demacia.”

“You’re right on that one”, Lux smiled. “Old and reputable family.”

“Good for you, princess”, Ezreal gave a laughter. Lux’s cheeks blushed a little.

“I am no princess”, she murmured. Ezreal laughed a bit more, louder.

“Don’t take it as an insult”, he said, grinning. After a moment of silence he turned towards the stairs. “Well, I’ll be off to get some breakfast. Have a nice Festival.”

And soon Ezreal had gone down the stairs and out of Lux’s sight. She stood there alone for a moment longer, breathing in and out trying to figure out what she thought of Ezreal.  _ He is annoyingly open and talks with certain ease, yet he doesn’t seem like one of those travellers who talk only to get attention, no matter of truth and false, _ Lux bit her lip slightly while thinking.  _ Well, whatever. I better get going, too, and find a place to eat. _

Lux sat on the edge of a fountain, eating the food she had taken from home and watching how the city woke up. Demacian people started to get out of their homes, meet up with their neighbours and walk over the market square, picking fresh food for the table. Lux sat a bit higher up of the market square, so that most of the people didn’t notice her watching. It was one of her favourite places in the city. The sun touched the water from mid-day until late in the evening, making the light play and reflect around in a special way.

_ I could watch the dance of water and light whole day long, _ Lux thought, smiling a little. The combination of noises from down the market square and the peaceful sight of fountain always made Lux relax.  _ Places like this are places I belong with my magic, _ Lux closed her eyes and let the warmth crawl inside her and tickle as the natural light met the magical one inside her.


	2. The Festival of Light

The beginning ceremony of the Festival of Light was amazing. At mid-day all the nobles, semi-rich people and high rank military personnel gathered at the Golden Round to hear the Symphony of Light and see the act of first Demacian magician discover the magic of light, how he taught about the greatness of light to all the Demacia and made it the mighty kingdom it has been ever since. The act had several poems, beautifully rhythmed to fit the traditional Demacian poetry.

“Did you enjoy the ceremony, Luxanna?” her mother asked when they were on their way back home.

“Yes, I did”, Lux answered with a courteous smile she had been taught to keep every time she spoke. “It was, to quote the act,  _ ‘bright and shiny, as the lake below the moon, memorable and lovely, as the lady of the noon’ _ .”

“Your memory is such a pride”, her father said, quickly looking at her from the corner of his eye. “Keep it sharp, and you will never be turned down.”

It was much of a compliment to have from her father, and Lux felt the pride warm inside, though she hid it to not look too childish.  _ It is for little girls to show it out. _ After joining the military, Lux had been taught to cheat the enemy and hide what she felt, more than her parents had taught her of being courteous. 

“This first day we will spend together, but after tomorrow you are allowed to enjoy the festival on your own”, her mother told Lux. “Is your dress ready for tomorrow evening’s dance at the Great Square, Luxanna?”

“Yes, it is”, Lux answered, thinking about the dress her parents had commissioned for her. Her mother smiled at her.

“Good”, she said. “It fits you well and will get to its rights tomorrow, when the Square is filled with light and lanterns, music and dancers.”

Lux smiled.  _ I can’t wait to see the Square get filled of Demacian people. It will be amazing! _

 

~*~

 

“Ezreal.”

“Yes?”

“Aren’t you going to see the dance tonight?” the old librarian stepped next to the desk at the office he had given for Ezreal’s use during his visit to Demacia. The young man sat on the hard bench, reading in the light of an old lantern.

“I’m not that much into dancing”, Ezreal glanced at the librarian. “Are you going?”

“My old back won’t let me dance anymore”, the librarian smiled gently, “but I will go and see how the youngs do it. They have the energy to dance the night away, and it surely is worth seeing.”

Ezreal turn his head away.

“Will everyone be there?” he asked. “Every Demacian?”

“Most of them, at least”, the librarian said. “Not everyone fits to the same square, of course, so some minors and low-born citizens will be dancing on smaller squares and large streets.”

“Maybe I will come”, Ezreal stood up, smiling. “At least for a while. I can always come back up here, if I get bored of all the dancing.”

“That’s the spirit, my boy”, the librarian was clearly happy. “Company is always a great gift for an old man like me. Yet I bet that before you know, you are in the spin of a dance with some gorgeous Demacian young!”

“Nice try, oldie”, Ezreal laughed. “But really, I don’t dance.”

The two of them left the office, leaving down the stairs and to the street where a stream of Demacians walked towards the Great Square, the center of all of Demacian celebration, all dressed in the colours of night and fire to fit the festival’s theme.

 

~*~

 

As the sun began to fall behind the city walls, Lux was getting ready in her room. She wanted to be at the spot when they would light up the lanterns on the Square, and that was about to happen when the sun had set.

“Luxanna, are you ready?” her mother’s voice was quiet behind the door. Lux turned around in front of her full-body mirror, making her dress swirl around her.

“I think I am”, she answered loud, watching how the golden ribbons caught the light, how it made the little fake diamonds twinkle on the torso, how the skirt set over her knees when she stopped moving.

“I didn’t quite hear you”, her mother said. Lux walked out of the door, giving her mother a smile.

“Yes”, she nodded, her gold-blonde hair lightly curled the same way as her mother’s. “I am ready.”

“Good”, mother turned around. “Then we’ve better got to get going.”

They walked to the edge of the Square together and stood with some friends of her parents as the ceremony master began to light up the lanterns of Demacian colours.

“The second evening of Festival of Light has fallen, and we will light up our city with lanterns”, the ceremony master said as the starting words. “Dance, my fellow Demacians. Dance the night away, and let the lanterns of love, pride and justice light your steps.”

As he ended his speech of few words, the ceremony master opened his hands wide, and at that very moment all the lanterns lit up with a flickering light of candles inside. People were amazed, they clapped their hands and laughed. And when the small orchestra at the side of the Square started playing, they moved closer to the middle and started dancing; first a few, then more and more until all of the Square seemed to be one big, elegant fog of movement. Laughter and singing echoed on the streets around, and some of those standing on the edge of square were clapping along the rhythm of the music.

“Go on, Luxanna”, her mother whispered. “Show them that you can dance, too!”

Lux nodded shortly, put a smile on her lips and sneaked to the middle of people, joining the dance. She had known the steps ever since she was just a child, for the dances of the Festival were dances of Demacian tradition, danced at festivals and celebrations and the halls of Demacian elite, nobles and high rank commanders.

Through the sea of faces Lux thought she saw a peek of the straw-golden hair and the smirk she had seen a couple of days ago on the face of a Piltovian adventurer, but when she tried to spin around and see him again, she couldn’t even find where the mass of people ended.

_ Why would I even want to see if he’s here or not? _ she thought, confused.  _ Not that, I could talk to him again. He sounds like an interesting person, despite how different he is compared to myself. An adventurer, Grand Master Explorer and a cartographer - he is like one of those heroes in the stories, who first are nothing more than mere soldiers and adventurers, later on ending up the praised heroes who saved villages, kingdoms, kings and queens. _

In the swirl of dance Lux let her thoughts slip to Ezreal, yet never using his name even in her thoughts, wondering if she would or would not see him again for she wanted to hear about his adventures to be able to compare then with her own exploring during the missions from borders of Demacia to the deep danger of Noxus.

_ I wonder if there are things in common with a historian and an infiltrator. _


	3. Fountain

Lux lay on her bed, gazing through the fading darkness as the morning was about to break. It was a great part of the dance of the second evening to last all night, until the dawn lit up the sky. The Demacia would be quiet for the following hours, until the noon, since most of the dancers were tired of the dance.

_ I never believed there would be day when I was awake all night long and slept the following morning, _ Lux thought as she closed her eyes. She slept until noon and an hour more, and when she woke up the lunch was already put on table. It was a combination of breakfast and lunch, if asked from Lux. Bread and eggs were served among the meat and side dishes they had, which was as confusing as waking up afternoon.

Lux went walking around the city when she had eaten. It was still many hours until it would get darker again and the firework show would start. Lux wandered to the market square and curiously looked at everything and every stand around. There were so many sellers who usually didn’t stop at Demacia, and many of the stands sold things related to the festival. Fire-shaped pastries, sparklers, colourful drinks sliding from red to orange, a portrait illustrator, masks and paper lanterns, sweets and so many other things, all in shades of red, orange and yellow, gold, white and blue. The colours of sunlight and Demacia.

“Beautiful necklaces”, Lux stopped in front of an old lady, who sold silver jewellery. There were necklaces, rings and bracelets with complicated figures and different coloured jewels on them. The old lady smiled at her with cracked lips.

“That kind of jewels would fit your pretty face”, she answered. “Orange, maybe, to fit your golden hair and strong character, or blue to match your eyes and make your outlook softer.”

“I’ll have to think about it”, Lux nodded. “They are beautiful, indeed.”

“I will stay a couple of days after the festival”, the old lady told her. “Just come and see me, and we’ll pick the prettiest necklace for you.”

“Thank you”, Lux smiled and kept on walking.  _ They are beautiful, but I don’t think I would have any use for a necklace. I have a few and rarely use them anyway. _

 

Ezreal walked around at the market square, looking at everything but not really stopping at any stand.  _ Nothing interesting here, _ he thought as he passed a man that sold some art.  _ If he had some historical paintings, then maybe, but those are works of his own. I have no need for art. _ Ezreal played with a thought of having some paintings in his office back in Piltover City.  _ There is no space on my walls, they would just stand at some corner and get dust over them. Maybe in one hundred years they would be worth a coin, or a bet in a card game… _

Suddenly Ezreal noticed the girl he had met a couple of times before.  _ Lux, was it? She sound like an interesting lady, _ he thought and stopped at where he stood. He looked at the girl as she talked with an old woman selling jewellery a few stands from Ezreal.  _ She looks a bit lonely, even though she hides it well of the eyes of strangers. Should I go talk to her again?  _

Lux turned the other way and kept on walking to the next table. Ezreal took the few steps that were between them, slowing down when getting close. He looked at the table over Lux’s shoulder, not saying a word. However Lux noticed that someone had come next to her and took a step away from Ezreal, turning around in movement.

“We meet again”, Ezreal grinned a little. Lux looked a bit confused.  _ She’s actually quite beautiful, _ Ezreal thought. Lux knit her eyebrows.

“Ezreal?” she said. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I was thinking of flying away”, Ezreal threw a joke. When Lux didn’t laugh, he rolled his eyes and then said: “Just killing time. What about you, sunshine?”

“The same to be honest”, she answered. “Have you seen anything interesting here?”

“Not really. I’m more into dust-covered old crap with stories to discover than brand-new stuff the travellers sell for rich in high prize”, Ezreal quickly looked at the table full of over-prized plates and bowls, made of some cheap metal that had the shade of silver. The lady behind the stand murmured something, but Ezreal paid no attention to her.

“That is plain to see”, Lux grinned, looking quickly at Ezreal’s clothing. Ezreal looked at his own clothes too and asked a bit offended: “Is there something wrong with looking like this? They’re old, but I bet they are better than the silky dresses you wear.”

“For your information, my clothes are mostly not silk”, Lux snapped. “And whatever material they are, at least they aren’t patched a thousand times and they look good.”

“Are you saying I don’t?” Ezreal met Lux’s eyes and grinned. Lux stared at him for a short moment, blushed a little and turned her head away.

“You look like a girl”, she blurted. Ezreal’s jaw fell open.

“A girl? Me?” he asked. Lux peeked at him and grinned.

“If you were dressed in a skirt instead of that worn out jacket of yours, you would”, she said. Ezreal shook his head.

“Is every girl in Demacia like that?” he asked. Lux laughed.

“Maybe not, but I am”, she moved a curl of hair out of her face. “Well, what do you want from me?”

Ezreal stared at Lux.  _ She looks at me like she could read every single little thought I have in my head, _ Ezreal thought a bit confused.

“If you say nothing, I don’t believe you”, Lux lifted one brow up. Ezreal swallowed and scrabbled the hair on the back of his head.

“Well, if you put it that way”, he mumbled.  _ I’ve got to come up with something. Anything that doesn’t make me sound like an idiot. _ “I have been to Demacia many times, but I have always been up to some task or investigation here. So, I know quite well the library, the monuments and historical places here, but not really anything else. Would you show me some good places to go?”

Lux stared at Ezreal, as if trying to figure out whether he was lying or not.  _ I should’ve come up with something better,  _ Ezreal felt embarrassed.  _ This is maybe the most stupid thing I can ask of a high-born girl. Up to that, what can I ask of her anyway? I’m more low-born than any of the people living in Demacian capital. _

After a short moment that felt like ages to Ezreal, Lux nodded.

“Sure”, she said, giving Ezreal a quick smile. It was a courteous smile, nothing more. “Follow me.”

As Lux started walking with Ezreal right after her, Ezreal looked at the girl’s hair as it jumped from side to side in the rhythm of her steps.  _ She’s been taught to smile, but she does not smile of her own will, _ Ezreal thought.  _ I wonder if I could make her smile for real, or laugh from the bottom of her heart. Not the laughter she gives while joking with a random passer by, the laughter she gives at her friends. _

That made Ezreal think another question he did not dare to ask. They walked through narrow alleys, passed many white-walled houses and windows with flowers outside of them, until they came out onto a small plaza-like area in the middle of houses. It was a bit higher than the market square that showed from between two of the houses, with a low wall of white stone blocking the drop from the street down to the edge market square.

Lux sat on the edge of the fountain that stood in the middle of the square. It was also made of white stone, with a character of bronze letting water flow out of a vase in her hands.

“What is this place?” Ezreal could not hide the admiration in his voice and that made Lux smile smuggly.

“This is called ‘The Fountain of the Lonely Light’”, she told him. “They say it was named after all the lonely, who came out here to get water and comfort from the well that was here before the fountain.”

“Is there a reason why you come here, too?” Ezreal asked, sitting next to Lux and letting his hand fall down to the water. It felt cold to his fingers, even though the air was warm and the sun shined above them. Lux quickly peeked at Ezreal and looked away.

“This happens to be one of my favourite places in the city”, she said with a weird tone in her voice. “The light plays with water in a way that it does nowhere else.”

“You love to look the play of the light?” Ezreal looked at Lux. The girl nodded quietly.

“Have you ever looked at it?” Lux turned her head to Ezreal. “How the light plays with water? It’s one of the miracles that nature gives us, among the rainbows and sunrises.”

“You really seem to be into light”, Ezreal noted. Lux gave a short laughter.  _ That had a weird sound in it, _ Ezreal thought. 

“It’s my birth gift”, Lux said, a small smirk on her face. Ezreal forgot himself looking at that smirk for a while.  _ It’s closer to a honest smile than any of those she’s given to me, _ he thought. Lux noticed that he was looking and turned her hear.

“What are you looking at?” she asked. Ezreal startled when he realized he had been staring, turned his eyes away and suddenly fell down. There was just a “thump” .sound when he hit the ground, the moment of embarrassed silence and then the laughter.

“Why are you down there? Did you find a brick to investigate?” Lux asked jokingly, still laughing. Ezreal lay on ground, smiling a bit.  _ At least I made her laugh a bit more relaxed, _ he thought.  _ It doesn’t make me happier, though. The ground is hard. _ Ezreal was about to sit up, when he noticed that Lux had gotten up to her feet and gave Ezreal her hand to help him up.

“That can’t be comfortable place to lay”, she said, grinning. 

“Well, I actually like laying on ground”, Ezreal took Lux’s hand and pushed himself up. As he struggled back his balance, the metal on the glove in his left hand caught a spark of light and drew Lux’s attention.

“What is that glove on you hand?” she asked. Ezreal looked at the glove and the great, blue stone attached to it.

“This stone was in the depths of Shurima, in a chamber somewhere really far below the ground”, he explained, turning his hand around in front of him. “It looked interesting, so I went closer to it. I wanted to have a better look, and maybe even take it with me to properly study it later. Somewhy, when I was about to touch it, this amulet attached to my hand and didn’t get off. We learned that it had no curse in it, but it had other powers that went along with mine own.”

_ Did I say too much? _ Ezreal realized and turned his eyes from the amulet to Lux’s. The girl made the same, and their eyes met.

“Your power?” Lux asked curiously. “Do you have magical powers?”

“Well, sort of”, Ezreal made a face. “It’s no big deal. Just some common sorcery, this thing just made it easier to master.”

“I want to see”, Lux had a look on her face that Ezreal didn’t expect to see on her face.  _ Is she that excited of this? _

“Not here”, Ezreal said, shaking his head. “Not now. Not-”

“I’ll show you another place tomorrow”, Lux snapped the glove next to the amulet and made Ezreal jump a bit back. “A place where you can show me your magic tricks.”

Ezreal stared at Lux fro a moment.  _ Why is she so excited of it? _

“Sure, then”, Ezreal grinned. “But don’t wait for some tricks. It might be ordinary sorcery, but it really ain’t magic tricks for children.”

“I am no more child than you are”, Lux pushed Ezreal a bit. Ezreal laughed, until Lux looked up to the sky.

“I think I should go home”, she said. “I don’t want to miss the dinner.”

“Then I guess you should go”, Ezreal nodded. “Will I see you here tomorrow?”

“Aren’t you coming to see the firework show?”

“Are you disappointed if I’m not?”

Lux looked at Ezreal with sharp eyes.  _ If she wasn’t such a high-born, I’d be afraid that she would hit me right now,  _ Ezreal thought.

“No”, Lux answered. “Why would I be?”

“Because you like me?” Ezreal winked. Lux bridled.

“As if”, she said with a mocking voice. “I just want to see if a Piltovian can do anything useful.”

“Do you like surprises?”

“Usually not.”

“Then I’ll teach you to”, Ezreal grinned. Lux rolled her eyes and walked past Ezreal fast, not saying a word more for him. Ezreal laughed as Lux left him alone standing next to the fountain. He stood there for a while, staring at the water flowing from the bronze vase.

_ She is different than I first thought. Sharp and proud, but there is the softer side, too. And she’s pretty, though she claimed to be in military. What might she do there? Not that, if she’s as clever as she seems to be, she can be anything… _

After a while Ezreal sighed, turned around… and realized he had no idea of where he was. He stared at the narrow alleys leaving from the small plaza, trying not not laugh at himself.  _ Which one did we come from? _

Finally Ezreal left the plaza, only hoping that he would find his way back to the market square or the library.  _ This city center can’t be that big. I’ve been mapping bigger areas than this, _ he thought, lightly annoyed of this lost feeling.  _ If the government of Piltover would hear me now, they would laugh themselves dead. What is a cartographer that gets lost in a simple city like Demacia? _


	4. The Secret Garden

The morning after the firework show, Lux sat on the edge of the fountain, waiting for Ezreal. He was late.

_ Should I just leave? _ Lux thought, playing with a small spark of light.  _ What if he never comes? If he plays me a fool? That would be embarrassing, to be fooled by a guy like that. _

After a long while, Ezreal showed up. He gave Lux an apologetic smile and a bunch of flowers.

“I’m sorry for being late”, he sighed. “Here, have these.”

“Flowers?” Lux stared at the flowers, not knowing what to say. “Why are you giving me flowers?”

“Because girls like flowers, you are a girl and besides prettier than the flowers, but harder than the roses’ spikes”, Ezreal shrug. Lux looked at him. “Don’t ask me, I just saw them and bought them for you, okay? The woman sold them in a low prize, because she was leaving anyway…”

“I don’t care”, Lux’s cheeks felt hot.  _ Did he just call me pretty in the middle of all that joking? _ “Let’s go.”

And again Lux led the way. They went all the way through the city near to the wall that circled Demacian city. There was a gate that was no more in use and that why no more guarded. It was called The Gate of the Flowers, due to the garden that was in the middle of the outer and the inner gate. The outer gate was steady and locked, but the inner door to the city was more rusty and the lock had been broken a long time ago. From that gate Lux led Ezreal to the garden that had grown wild ages ago, the grass had grown up to their ankles and wild flowers had taken over the planted ones. There were four trees, three of them growing here and there and one, the biggest one, grew up on the hill that was pretty much in the middle of the garden. The garden looked more a natural meadow than a real garden between the city walls. It was huge, and with bushes and vines at the edges, the walls could hardly be seen.

“What is this place?” Ezreal asked, looking all around.

“The Garden of the Gate of the Flowers”, Lux answered. “Also known as the Wall Garden or the Secret Garden of Demacia.”

“Well, the names fit”, Ezreal laughed. “Woah, it’s huge. How has anyone ever taken care of a garden this big? If you didn’t tell me it’s a garden, I’d guessed it’s a meadow that has been left here and is a bit over-grown.”

“Nowadays it is more a meadow than a garden”, Lux had to admit. “It’s just grass and wild flowers.”

“I like it anyway”, Ezreal turned to Lux. “And I know I like it too. As well as those flowers.”

Lux startled and looked at the bunch of flowers in her hand.

“Well, if it bothers you, I can throw them away”, Lux said, taking a quick look at Ezreal while turning the flowers from side to side. Ezreal opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but finally just sighed and turned around.

“If you’re going to throw them away, I don’t want to see you do”, he cailmed. “They were a gift, and I would like you to appreciate it, even if you didn’t like me.”

“Whatever”, Lux put the flowers gently next to the gate.  _ I wish they won’t die before I leave. _ “Now show me your magic.”

Ezreal looked at Lux.

“Ladies first”, he grinned. Lux pushed him a little, but made a spark of light anyway, made it look like a tiny human, a pixie, and made it dance around them. Through the air it flew, taking steps and spinning around, leaving glittery sparkles wherever it went. Around and around, until Lux let it break and rain upon their heads.

“Just a small trick”, Lux said. “Now I want yours.”

“My sorcery is not that beautiful”, Ezreal noted. He raised his left hand, the one with the amulet and the glove, and created a small ball of light that he sent flying off his hand, hitting the wall a bit further and blew, removing a bit of the vine and making the wall black where it hit.

“Whoops”, Ezreal made a face. “It was more powerful than I thought. I thought…” Ezreal raised his hand again and shot a few sparks higher up, making them breaking smaller as they flew and floating down slowly like snow flakes. Some of the sparks burnt off in the air, but a few dropped down to the grass and blackened a few straws.

“I understand why you didn’t want to do that in the middle of houses”, Lux said. She felt a bit nervous and uncomfortable, with someone she barely knew, who first showed dangerous magic like that when she asked to see what he could do. “You would be arrested for being dangerous. Have you not been taught to do anything else than shoot?”

“Well”, Ezreal scrabbled his hair embarrassed. “I quit school when I was… maybe eight or nine. It wasn’t really my thing, and the city government wanted me as their cartographer, so…”

“Wait, have you been working to your city since the age of  _ eight _ ?” Lux stared at Ezreal.

“Eight, nine, ten, something like that”, Ezreal shrug. “It’s not a big deal. They thought me skilled and I didn’t care about magical studies, so…”

“That’s unbelievable!” Lux snorted. Ezreal looked at her.

“Can you truly say that no child in Demacia could be trained and taken to service if they showed some special skills?” he asked, meeting her eyes with a glance that said:  _ I know more than you think I know. _ It made shivers go through Lux’s back and she fell to her thoughts.  _ He is right, but I don’t think children would start working at that age. Training is one thing… _

“About that you called me dangerous”, Ezreal said, releasing Lux from her thoughts. “I might be, but have you ever been to Shurima? Or Kumungu? There are beasts that could kill with one bite, so some self-defensive skills are pretty handy.”

“The most dangerous place I have been is the center of Noxus”, Lux told him. She had never told anyone about it, not even to her parents. They knew, of course, that she was at Noxus, but nothing more. “On a mission I have even been close to the High Commander of Noxus. He is a scary man.”

Lux met Ezreal’s eyes again.

“Can you show me more?” Lux begged. “I want to see. Our magic is different from each other’s, but I know I can do some things in my own way the same as you.”

“Are you asking me to teach you how to fight?” Ezreal made a noise that was something between a laughter and a sigh. “I’m no teacher. I’m no soldier. I’m just an adventurer.”

“I asked you to show me”, Lux said. “I said nothing about teaching.”

Ezreal sighed, gave a short smile and nodded.

“I can”, he answered, grinning at Lux. “I’ll show you something that I guess even you cannot copy.”

“Dream on”, Lux grinned.  _ What could be so hard to do, that I couldn’t repeat it?  _

Ezreal turn his back to Lux. He stood there, and then in a blink of an eye, he was gone. There were only little sparkles where he had stood. Lux startled and looked around.

“Ezreal?” she called him by name. She felt anxious.

“I’m here.”

Lux turned around to where the voice came and saw Ezreal leaning to a tree that grew a few steps away from Lux.  _ Wow, _ Lux thought. Ezreal had that half-smile, half-grin on his face again.

“How did you do that?” Lux asked, stepping closer to Ezreal. The young man laughed, and disappeared again leaving only sparkles after him.

“Yes, how?” Ezreal was now a bit to the side, slowly walking and opened his hands wide open on both sides. “It’s all skill. You said you could repeat it, well?”

As Lux was about to take a step closer to Ezreal, he did it again. This time Lux felt how he appeared a couple of meters behind her. She felt the light wind on her back.

“Can you repeat it?” Ezreal spoke with low voice that made Lux’s skin go on goose bumps.

“Stop it!” Lux shoted and turned around, fast. She raised her hand to Ezreal and locked him inside a circle of light. Ezreal froze where he stood and carefully touched the light that surrounded him. 

“It’s warm, but it doesn’t burn”, Ezreal said, moving his hand on the surface of something, that looked like reflection of light but nothing more. “It won’t let through. What is this?”

“It’s one of my skills”, Lux put her head down. “I’m sorry, Ezreal.”

Lux let the light prison fall off around Ezreal and the young man stood closer.

“That was cool”, he said, smiling. Lux looked Ezreal in the eyes.  _ He’s honest with it, _ she realized.  _ Even though I shut him inside of a wall of light, he thinks it’s great. What’s wrong with that guy? _

“You think so?” Lux tilted her head. Ezreal nodded.

“Yes. I do”, his face was lit up with the smile. Lux gave a laughter.

“You are weird, but whatever”, Lux turned around and started walking towards the hill in the middle of the garden. Ezreal caught up with her, this time by taking a few running steps, and walked to the hill with her. They climbed to the top of the hill and sat on the grass, talking about all the things they had seen while on missions of their own.

“I should be at the library doing my research”, Ezreal said, laying down on his back. He stared through the leaves of the tree, trying to see the blue of the sky above. Lux sat in silence.

“What are you examining now?” she asked. Ezreal sighed.

“A bit of this and that”, he said with monotonic voice. “I have a couple of artifacts that might be Demacian, and a case that seems to be related on every single area in Runeterra. And if I’m lucky, I might find something about this amulet, too, even though it clearly is Shuriman and ancient as anything.”

“A lot of work to do”, Lux pointed out. Ezreal laughed.

“Might be”, he said, “but I’m in no hurry.”

_ Good, _ Lux noticed herself thinking.  _ I don’t mind if you stay here.  _

“Well, whatever, I’d better get going”, Ezreal stood up and walked down the hill. Lux sat there for a moment, then stood up and ran after him.

“I’ll walk back with you”, she said. At the gate she picked the flowers up. They were a bit dry, but seemed to Lux that they would wake up again once they had some water. Ezreal saw her studying the flowers and grinned a little, but said nothing to the girl. They walked together to the edge of the market square, where they parted their ways.

“You know where to find me, if you want to”, Lux said as she turned to the different direction than Ezreal. The young man smiled.

“I do”, he nodded. He went back to the library, and Lux went home. Waiting for dinner, she walked up to her room, trying not to disturb her father, who had visitors in the room downstairs.

~*~

There went couple of weeks with the same routine. Ezreal woke up, ate early breakfast, took a book or two and walked out to the Wall Garden. Usually he had to wait for Lux to arrive, some days even until lunch time. After lunch Lux came for sure, no matter had she been to family business, military meetings or wandering around. Ezreal used the time reading, spent the day with Lux and left when the dinner time came closer. They walked every day back together and parted their ways in the corner of the market square.

“See you tomorrow”, Lux always said with that courteous smile on her face.  _ She looks more and more natural every day, though, _ Ezreal thought as he waved, turned around and walked back to the library. Many nights Ezreal spent with the books, doing the research he had. When he told that to Lux, the girl looked amazed.

“Don’t you ever sleep?” she’d asked. Ezreal had laughed and told her that the sleep was for the weak, the old and those with too much time with nothing to do. Lux had laughed as well, and Ezreal could be proud saying that she laughed all relaxed nowadays.  _ I’ve completed my mission, _ he thought with a slight mockery to himself.  _ Such childish thoughts, those. It isn’t a game to make a person laugh… _

Then one day, as Lux showed up at the Garden, she looked upset.

“What’s wrong?” Ezreal asked when the girl walked up the hill and sat next to him. “Who took the sunshine and made it rain?”

“I have a mission coming”, she answered. Her voice was monotonic and cold. “I’ll be out of the city for a few days.”

“When?” Ezreal looked at Lux. A weird feeling rolled around in his stomach.

“The day after tomorrow”, Lux said. She looked at Ezreal. “I’ll go to a traveller town in Noxus. There are some Noxian soldiers staying there, and I… I can’t tell you more.”

Lux turned her eyes away. Ezreal smiled at her.

“I understand, I’m not in Demacian military”, he said. Ezreal touched lightly Lux’s hand. “Don’t worry about that. You’ll go out there, dig up the information needed and come back. Right? I’ll be here waiting, and you’ll be back in one piece.”

“I’m not troubled with that”, Lux snapped and suddenly sat straight again. “This is not my first mission or first visit to Noxus. I’ve gone through a good bunch of missions.”

“Then why are you so upset?” Ezreal tilted his head. “And don’t you dare to say you aren’t, because it’s clear that there’s something on your mind!”

Lux met Ezreal’s eyes.

“I… well..” she turned her eyes away, blushing slightly. “Do you promise to be here, when I get back?”

Ezreal stared at Lux.  _ She is afraid of me leaving, _ he realized.

“I’m here when you come back”, he promised. “I already said that.”

That day neither of them left the Garden to get dinner. The two of them sat under the tree until the sun was setting, and even longer. Ezreal gave Lux his jacket at some point, to protect her from bugs and coolness of the evening. Lux created some small balls of light and let them float above the two of them, lightning up the surroundings. The lights went out one by one as Lux fell asleep on the grass next to Ezreal, hand almost touching Ezreal’s. He looked down to the sleeping girl and smiled.

_ You show out tough, but you are actually very sensitive, _ he thought as he let his eyes wander around the Garden.  _ I guess I should wake her up and walk her home, but she looks so peaceful asleep. And this grass is so soft, after all... _

After a while of pondering, Ezreal lay next to Lux on the grass, put his hands behind his head and fell asleep as well.

 

Lux felt weird.  _ This isn’t my bed, _ she thought as she opened up her eyes.

She was still in garden, sleeping on the grassy hill under the tree. Ezreal’s jacket was on Lux as if it was a blanket, and the named boy slept right next to Lux. His goggles had dropped and laid a good half a meter away from Ezreal’s head.

_ He actually looks quite nice when he’s asleep, _ Lux thought. She smiled, knowing that no one could see it.  _ I could stay here all day… _

Suddenly Lux realized that she had been sleeping all night outside. She jumped up and dropped Ezreal’s jacket. The quick movement she’s made woke Ezreal up, too, and he looked up to Lux confused.

“Heyy, sunshine”, Ezreal yawned. “Is it morning already?”

“I’ve got to go”, Lux said, running down the hill. “See you again!”

Lux left Ezreal alone in the Garden and ran all the way back home.  _ I wish my parents are not too angry at me, _ she thought, trying to brush her hair in the run.  _ I bet I look awful. Why did I ever stay there for so late? I should have been home by dinner. _

When Lux arrive to her family’s house, she walked straight to eat breakfast. Her parents had just sat down and were about to start eating. Lux’s cheeks were red and warm.

“I’m sorry to be late”, she said with a clear voice as she sat down to her place. Lux’s mother peeked at Lux but said nothing. Her father took the questioning.

“You didn’t show up on dinner last night, either”, he said. Lux swallowed.

“I apologize”, she answered, looking at her plate. “I was with a.. friend.”

The short pause Lux had was a mistake.

“What sort of friend?” her father asked. He looked at Lux with strict eyes. “Is it that boy who you’ve been dating lately?”

Lux blushed even more. Quickly she lifted her head up, meeting her father’s eyes.

“Father, I…” she began, then swallowed and took a deep breath to ease her voice. Her father did not let her continue.

“You are not dating him”, he ordered. “He is not worth of your presence.”

“I understand”, Lux nodded. “But a title of Grand Master is not easy to get. He might be greater than his outlook tells.”

“His position does not interest me”, her father’s voice was icy. “He is not even Demacian. You should cut it short, Luxanna, before it affects on your status.”

“I won’t meet him again, father”, Lux lowered her hear, speaking clearly. “I won’t be a disappointment.”

They spoke nothing the rest of the dining, and only little the whole day. Lux did not go back to the Garden.  _ It is better this way, _ she told herself as she sat in her room, getting ready for the following mission.


	5. The Mission

The morning of the mission was misty. Lux walked towards the headquarters of the military, in clothes she had been given to fit in with the people in the town. They were black and blue, dark colours that Noxians so much praised.

“White fits you better than black.”

Lux knew the voice and froze at where she stood.

“Ezreal?” she turned around and saw him standing a few meter away. Ezreal had folded his grey scarf around his neck, to prevent the cold of the morning getting at him. He walked over the street to face Lux.

“What are you doing here?” Lux asked, confused.  _ I didn’t want to see you this morning, _ she thought.  _ I left on purpose out the time when I would leave. _

“I wanted to say goodbye”, Ezreal smiled at her. “And see you in a few days.”

Ezreal took something out of his jacket’s inner pocket.

“Blue to match your eyes”, Ezreal whispered as he opened his palm. There laid one of the silvery necklaces Lux had been loking at during the Festival of Light, weeks ago. Lux stared at the necklace, then at Ezreal, then necklace again.

“You.. why would you…” Lux lost her words. Ezreal just smiled.

“It looked so much like you, I had to buy it for you”, he answered the question unasked. “I was waiting for a goo moment to give this to you, and now is the best of them.”

Ezreal walked to Lux’s back and put the necklace around her neck. He touched lightly Lux’s hair.

“Take care of yourself”, he whispered. Lux swallowed.

“I will”, she promised and ran away, leaving Ezreal behind again. Lux ran, trying to stop her heart from jumping in her chest, trying to get off the feeling that she was about to cry.  _ Why would I cry? I won’t be away for long. Besides, why would I miss HIM this much… _

 

Ezreal gazed after Lux as the girl disappeared to the mist.

_ Take care, Lux, _ he thought, lowering his eyes and walking back to the library. The sun had not risen yet, and he had a good couple of hours more to sleep.  _ Or I could just go back to my office. I’ve dropped behind with this research, because of meeting her every day… _

 

~*~

 

_ It took me longer than expected, _ Lux thought as she finally sat in the cart that went back to the city of Demacia.  _ I’m late of what I promised. But that happens with missions… it wasn’t an easy task.  _

Lux had to go write a report of her mission at the headquarters, and it took the rest of her day.  _ This has never been my thing, _ she thought as she wrote about how the mission had went on, what had happened and so on, so on everything about the last week she’d spent in Noxus.

_ I wonder what Ezreal’s doing, _ Lux walked out of the headquarters at the dinnertime.  _ Is he in the library office again? I wonder if his research is still halfway through. _

Lux touched lightly the necklace Ezreal had given to her. Spontaneously she decided to go see Ezreal at the library.  _ He will be surprised, for sure! I’m late, but I’m here. _ Lux pretty much ran the steps up to the library, and straight to the office of the head of the library. Lux knocked on the door. No answer.

_ Has he gone somewhere? _ Lux thought nervously and knocked again. No answer this time either. Lux sighed and put her hand onto the doorknob. As spontaneously as she had come to the library, she turned the know and opened the door.

The office was dimly lit, only one old lantern was on the table. Piles of books made long shadows all over the room, and shadows danced in the flickering light inside the lantern. All the wall were full of bookshelves, filled with books, notebooks, half-burnt candles and quills, ink and paper. The table, which the lantern was set on, was in the middle of the room close to one wall, and there was a figure laying head on an open book, leaning to the table and breathing restful.

Lux lit up a small, floating ball of light and quietly walked beside Ezreal. The young had fallen asleep with a book open and several papers of hand-written notes all over the table. Ezreal’s writing was fast and hard to read, with all kinds of arrows and circles drawn among the text. Some papers had drawings, which were made more carefully and had a lot of little details in them.

“Ez?” Lux began, and swallowed. Ezreal looked so peaceful, sleeping there in the middle of the chaos on the table. She touched lightly him on the shoulder. “Ezreal?”

Ezreal slightly opened his eyes and gazed through the dim of the room.

“Lux?” his voice was a mere whisper, though Ezreal tried to speak normally. “Is it you? You have come back?”

“Yes”, Lux answered. Ezreal rose up and rubbed his eyes.  _ This may be the first time he has called me by my name, _ Lux realized.  _ He always calls me sunshine or mockingly princess if anything, but never uses my own name… _

“What time of the day it is?” Ezreal asked, yawning. Lux knit her brows.

“Past dinner time”, she answered. “Why, don’t you know? For how long have you been in here?”

“I guess.. I last went to eat dinner with the oldie”, Ezreal looked sleepy and troubled. “...yesterday… then I came here to finish a chapter and got carried on with something else.. I have no idea how long I read before I fell asleep. All night at least, and some of the day I guess.”

Lux stared at Ezreal, who made a face at her.

“Don’t look at me like that”, he said. “I forgot the time. It happens sometimes.”

“Are you an idiot or something”, Lux sighed. “Let’s go see if the librarian has something in his kitchen.”

“Probably yes”, Ezreal stood up, yawning as he spoke. “He always has something to make food of..”

They walked into empty kitchen and picked some meat and some sides to warm. Ezreal made the food, looking natural in the kitchen. Lux mostly sat next to him watching.

“Have you never made food yourself?” Ezreal laughed.

“I don’t really need to”, Lux turned up her nose. “I have only taken some breakfast from the kitchen, when I’m on the move earlier than the cook is up.”

“Spoiled girl”, Ezreal muttered. 

“No I’m not!” Lux snapped. “I might be high born, but it’s not easier for me either.”

Ezreal peeked at Lux.

“Calm down, stormhead”, he grinned. “No offence.”

“I’m not offended.”

“That’s hard to believe”, Ezreal said, cutting vegetables to the food. Silence fell to the kitchen, and the food was almost ready when Lux opened up her mouth again.

“My parents think I shouldn’t be seeing you”, she said. Ezreal looked at Lux.

“Why?” he asked.

“For the pride of Demacia”, Lux answered. She met Ezreal’s eyes. “A high born girl of a Demacian noble family with a high rank in military is not suitable for a low born, no-name man from abroad.”

Ezreal stared at Lux.

“Will you listen to their word?” he asked, taking a deep breath. “Did you come to tell me to stay away?”

Lux shook her head.

“If I wanted to not see you again, I would just stay away”, she said. Ezreal gave a noise between a laughter and a sigh.

“I guess you’re right”, he admitted. Ezreal looked at Lux and met her eyes. “So, we’ll be meeting in secret?”

“Can you keep a secret with that big mouth of yours?” Lux asked mockingly. Ezreal laughed.

“This big mouth of mine is pretty useful”, he grinned. Lux answered with a smile, and looked at Ezreal, who took the food off the stove, brought it to the table and put some food on a plate he gave to Lux.

 

It was already night when Ezreal walked Lux back to her home. The streets were empty, and the lanterns were lit up to show the way. Demacia was always well lit and the white marble walls reflected the light back, making the whole city glow in a magical way. The two of them stopped in front of Lux’s home.

“Will we see tomorrow, too?” Lux tilted her head. Ezreal gave a silent laughter.

“If you just care to see me”, he answered. “I’ll be at the garden tomorrow. And all the mornings from here on.”

Lux smiled at him. It was the most real, the happiest smile she’d ever given to Ezreal.

_ Gosh, she’s pretty when she smiles like that, _ Ezreal thought. He held back the idea for a second, then kissed Lux on her lips. It was a quick kiss, a mere touch, and as he straightened his back Ezreal felt embarrassed. Lux’s cheeks were all red.  _ I should not have done that. _

Lux stared at Ezreal, frozen where she stood. Without a word, she turn around and ran away. Ezreal was about to shout after her, but his voice betrayed him. Lux shut the door behind her, never looking back at Ezreal. The boy stood at the street for a moment, staring blankly at the closed door.  _ I guess she won’t come to the garden tomorrow, _ he thought upset. Ezreal sighed, turn around and walked away.

 

Lux stood in the window, looking behind the curtain at Ezreal as he put his head down and walked away. Heart was jumping in Lux’s chest and she felt warmth on her cheeks.

_ Why did I run away? _ she thought with mixed feelings.  _ Why did he kiss me? Was it just a spontane thing, or does he.. what if he thinks I hate him now?  _

Lux sat on her bed for a long, long time, even though she was tired after the mission she couldn’t fall asleep thinking about whether she should’ve stayed after Ezreal’s kiss. Both ways felt wrong to her, and she couldn’t decide should she go apologize her or stay away from him.

The following two days Lux was bond to her duties, both with her family and the military. She woke up early and went to sleep late, ate with either her family and some guests or with some military personnel, who wanted to talk with Lux about important things. On the third day she was free after lunch.

_ How much can they need me?  _ she thought yawning.  _ Not that, I might get some rewards for all this I go through. If I get high enough in the military, there’s no way my father would be disappointed in me. I could even go after Garen… _

Lux stopped. She stood in the middle of a crossroad, one way leading to the edge of the city, another taking her home. Lux looked into one way, then another, wondering where she should go.

_ I wonder if Ezreal is at the garden as he promised, _ Lux bit her lip. They had not met since the night Lux had run away, and she felt nervous.  _ If I meet him, will he mock me? Will he pretend nothing happened? _

After a short moment Lux walked towards the Garden.  _ I’m no coward, _ she thought all the words about the pride of Demacians.  _ If he is there, then I will face him. If he is not, then he’s the coward and should stay away.  _

Lux couldn’t say whether she wanted Ezreal to be in the Garden or not. However she found him there, reading a book under the tree on the hill. Quiet as a ray of light Lux walked next to Ezreal. He didn’t notice her before she made a shadow upon his book.

“Lux”, Ezreal almost jumped in the air as he noticed Lux arriving. “I didn’t see you coming. Are you all right?”

“Why would I not be?” Lux asked, sitting next to Ezreal. The boy blushed a little, turning his head away.

“You didn’t come”, he mumbled. “I thought you.. I’m sorry.”

Lux tilted her head and looked at Ezreal. At this light, with a slight blush on his cheeks, Ezreal looked younger than ever. He had the look of a child who’s been caught for doing something, that’s forbidden of him. Lux smiled a bit.

“I’m fine with it”, she said, sure about that she meant what she said. Ezreal looked into Lux’s eyes, blushing even more.

“You sure?” he asked, nervously knitting his brows. “You didn’t seem to be fine with it, when you ran away.”

“I was confused”, Lux admitted, trying to sound confident and tough. “But now I am sure about what I want.”

She leaned closer to Ezreal and whispered: “Low-born and foreigner, but high enough for me.”

Lux grinned and poked Ezreal’s cheek with a finger.

“Or, have you come to regret it?” she teased.

“I rarely regret thing I’ve done”, Ezreal answered and lay on his back on the grass. “I’m just happy that you don’t hate me.”

Lux laughed and lay next to Ezreal, teasing him a bit and finally made him laugh and joke back. And so they started spending their days together again, talking and walking around the city, sitting on the grass at the Garden or on the edge of the fountain near to the market square.


	6. The Picture

It was raining outside. Lux sat next to Ezreal in the librarian’s kitchen, watching as he wrote something down as he ate the fruit salad the librarian had made for them.

“Do you ever take a break?” Lux asked. “I find it rude to do your job during dinner.”

Ezreal looked at Lux, then at the librarian. The old man smiled over his drafting papers and nodded.

“Luxanna is a fine lady”, the old man said. “Your and my habits are strange for her. Put the book away and enjoy her being here with us.”

Ezreal sighed and made a face, but closed the book anyway.

“I’m sorry”, he looked back at Lux. “I’m just about to find some answers, and some new information about the artifacts I found in Shurima. Not that you would understand anything about it”, Ezreal laughed a bit. Lux rolled her eyes.

“If I was interested in things like that, I would read about it”, she said.

“But you are not”, Ezreal pointed at her with a fork. “You read more war poems and military guides.”

“I read cultural books”, Lux fixed Ezreal’s words. “That kind of literature would make miracles to you as well.”

“Hah, are you saying that I’m a fool or something?” Ezreal looked a bit offended. “You know, I’m an explorer and a cartographer. I’ve been to places no one else has ever laid a foot on - and I have more knowledge of any place in Runeterra than you have of Demacia alone.”

“You are too sure about that”, Lux raised one brow up. 

“It’s the truth”, Ezreal made a half-smile, half-grin. “If experience meant age, I would be at least twice your age by now.”

Lux was about to say something, when the old librarian cut their argumentation.

“Are you two officially dating or just killing time together?” he asked, looking at both of them in turns. Ezreal and Lux looked first at the librarian, then to each other and last to different directions. They both were slightly embarrassed of the question and definitely not sure what to answer.

“Well, it’s complicated”, Ezreal rubbed the back of his head, making the shorter hair go shaggy. Lux peeked at him from the corner of her eye.

“Don’t go shouting anything stupid”, Lux said to Ezreal. The old man gave a laughter.

“Whatever your relationship is right now, you would be a cute couple”, he noted as if he was talking about weather or something. “I’ll keep my mouth shut, however, if you two can’t even tell it yourself what you are to each other.”

A slightly awkward silence fell to the kitchen. Lux and Ezreal did not look at each other, just listened to the old man’s whistling while he drafted something on the other side of the table. Finally he threw a picture at Ezreal and Lux.

“You better keep it out of sight, if you want no one to know about you two meeting in secret”, he smiled knowingly. The picture the librarian had drawn was of Ezreal and Lux, both looking embarrassed. It was somehow a cute picture, Lux had to admit it. She asked to have the picture.

“Feel free”, Ezreal smiled. “I bet the old man could draw me one as well.”

The librarian smiled but said nothing. Lux rolled the paper and put it to a small bag she carried along.

“I guess I should go back home soon”, she said, looking out of the window. The rain had not stopped, more likely it had started to rain even harder than earlier.

“Are you sure?” Ezreal looked at her with eyes strange to Ezreal’s normal look.  _ Is he worried about me? _ Lux thought, trying to read Ezreal’s face.

“I can take care of myself”, Lux’s smile was confident and a bit mocking.

“You could stay here over night”, Ezreal suggested. “You would stay dry.”

“I know how to create a shield of light that cuts the rain off.”

Ezreal sighed.

“Fine”, he stood up. “I’ll take you to the door and go continue my research.”

“Don’t stay up too late”, Lux hit Ezreal’s shoulder. The boy laughed.

“I can’t because you’ll bring a storm if I sleep for too long”, he answered with a joke. Lux laughed and Ezreal felt proud of himself.  _ She’s a lot better company when she’s all natural, smiles and laughs with me.  _

“I’ll see you tomorrow”, Lux called out as she created a dimly glowing shield around her. Ezreal nodded and stood on top of the library stairs, waving at Lux as she disappeared behind the corner of a house short way farther.

Lux walked fast, for the shield she used did not protect her of the water that had already fallen to the ground. Her shoes made splashing sounds as she walked from street to another, through small pools that were born to the streets where the water had no drain to escape to.

_ Ezreal’s so nice, _ Lux thought and touched the paper in her bag. She smiled a bit.  _ And the old librarian as well. I think I should go read the books more often. There are plenty of poetic shelves to go through, I bet… _

 

~*~

 

“Hey”, Ezreal looked down to Lux, who lay on her back in the grass of the Garden. “Good morning, sunshine.”

“Morning, Ez”, Lux answered with a smile. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“As much as I could from the singing”, Ezreal sighed and sat down. Lux laughed.

“What, are you saying that you didn’t enjoy the contest?” she asked with a slight tone of mockery in her voice. Ezreal looked at Lux.

“Considering that Demacia is the country of light, you have confusingly much of over night celebrations”, Ezreal half-grinned at Lux. She gave a laughter.

“Some of us are not afraid of the dark”, she said, making a circle of sparkles flow around them. 

“If I was afraid of the dark, I wouldn’t go down to tombs and underground tunnels”, Ezreal pointed out and followed the lights with his eyes. The two of them sat in silence. Ezreal fell to his thoughts and a sentimental expression took on his face. Lux glanced at him, trying to figure out what it was about.

“Is something wrong, Ez?” she asked. Ezreal startled and met Lux’s eyes.

“No”, he said and smiled. The smile made Lux ease a bit, but Ezreal’s eyes were not honestly along with the smile.

“Seriously?” her eyes darted between Ezreal’s eyes. The boy blinked a couple of times and nodded.

“Yeah, I’m all good”, he repeated. “Are you worried?”

Lux made a “tsk”-noise.

“You are acting strange”, she snapped and turn her head away. Ezreal crawled closer to Lux.

“So you  _ are  _ worried about me”, he had a large grin on his face. Lux pushed Ezreal away, trying not to smile but failed it.

“You are such a poser”, she laughed.

“Who? Me?” Ezreal faked an offended face. “Listen up, young lady, with the act of yours I wouldn’t go calling people pose--”

Lux put her hand on Ezreal’s mouth, making the rest of his sentence merely unclear mumbling. She had a grin on her face and playful glance in her eyes.

“You are hard to shut up”, she mentioned and removed her hand. Ezreal smirked and leaned to give Lux a kiss. Lux froze where she was, as every time Ezreal did something unexpected. 

“You, instead, are easy to shut up”, Ezreal winked at Lux. If she wasn’t already blushing, now she was. Lux turn her eyes away and murmured something Ezreal couldn’t hear.

“You know I don’t mean anything bad”, Ezreal lay on ground and closed his eyes. He couldn’t stop smirking, knowing that Lux was looking at him carefully, as if he didn’t know she was.  _ She might be at military service and a daughter of a noble house, but she is just a young girl anyway, _ he thought, slightly opening his eyes to see if Lux really was looking at him. She was, though she tried to pretend looking the other way when she saw Ezreal opening his eyes a little.  _ Naive in a cute way. She’s not one of those wicked ones who merely want to take the goods of people around them. _

“Ezreal, will you tell me something?”

“Huh?”

“What is Piltover like?”

Ezreal fixed his position so he could see Lux’s face properly. She stared into abyss, clearly thinking about something, a bit curious look in her eyes.

“It’s called the City of Progress, for a reason”, he began. “It shows out as huge cubic houses, with electric lights and zeppelins flying around. There’s never truly dark in Piltover, even though the nights are darker than in south. The light from laboratories and houses and the clock tower are more into blue and make the city glow dim. It’s way different from the way Demacia looks at night”, Ezreal looked at Lux, tilting his head. “Why do you ask? Are you planning on a trip?”

Lux puckered her lips and glance Ezreal angrily.

“No”, she blurted. “I would never leave Demacia if I didn’t need to. I’m just curious.”

“You should come to Piltover sometime”, Ezreal smiled a little. “It’s different, but no less beautiful.”

“Cubes of metal are not to my liking”, Lux said, turning to Ezreal. “White marble and golden ornaments are more for me.”

Ezreal sighed and gave Lux a smile, but said nothing.  _ There was something behind that question she won’t tell me.  _ Lux picked blades of grass and let them fall off her fingers, then picked more and let them go again.

“Want to see something?” he suddenly asked, getting up to squat. Lux raised her head and looked a bit confused.

“Like what?” she asked. Ezreal half-smiled at her.

“Look”, Ezreal lifted his hand with the amulet up. Ezreal’s face grew concentrated as the amulet began to shine. First it was merely a dim glow inside the jewel, but soon the light was much brighter. Lux had to focus on Ezreal’s face to not get blind of the light.  _ Funny, _ she thought.  _ Usually it’s me who’s making people blind of light… _

Ezreal shot a flux of sparkles in straight line. In a blink of an eye, Ezreal had disappeared and appeared on the way of the sparkling flux. It went right through him, making Ezreal glow with golden light. He dropped down to the ground on his feet, and threw some sparkles forward, towards Lux. They floated down like snowflakes, falling onto the grass and staying there, making the grass glitter in golden shades. Ezreal straightened himself and walked back to Lux, the golden glow slowly getting off. Lux stared at Ezreal.

_ In the sunlight with that golden light in him, Ezreal looks something else than a human being, _ she thought. Ezreal had a small smile on his face, part a smirk, part a smile, with shades of satisfaction and happiness in it. The gold and sparkles in his hair reminded Lux of the statues and heroes of old war poems.

“ _ ‘The gold of a sun, light of the morning, dim and bright in him, blinding the enemies, leading the comrades, like a son of the sun he appeared on the battlefield, banishing the shadows, bringing the dawn to the night of terrors’ _ ”, Lux read a verse of a poem out of her heart. Ezreal tilted his head, looking at Lux with that smile of his. Suddenly Lux felt like she saw a shade of sadness in Ezreal’s eyes.

“Whose poem is that?” Ezreal asked, sitting next to Lux. “Who is it about?”

“It’s of a hero they called ‘the Spawn of Sun’”, Lux said. “I can’t remember who wrote it. But it’s old. Maybe it’s not even known who wrote that poem.”

“Do you remember more of it?” Ezreal asked. Lux peeked at him and began: “ _ ‘The Spawn of the Sun, was he called, hair like rays of light and eyes with golden sight..’ _ ”

Ezreal sat listening to Lux reading the poems out of heart for a long, long time. When she couldn’t remember more of the Spawn of the Sun, she changed into another hero. Finally Lux had to stop, for her throat began to feel sore for all the speaking. She looked at Ezreal, who stared up to the leaves with lips in a slight smile.

“You are like one of those heroes, aren’t you?” 

Ezreal met Lux’s eyes, giving out a mocking laughter.

“No I’m not”, he said. “I’m merely an explorer. I go to places like Shuriman tombs, take what I find and try to figure out the stories behind them.”

“But you’ve saved people as well”, Lux stated. “You said it yourself. The two villagers in Kumungu, and that one traveler at mountains..”

“You leave out half of the story and make it sound as if I was a hero”, Ezreal blew air out of his nose annoyed. “The two villagers were about to get eaten by the giant snake  _ I _ made angry in the beginning. And that traveler happened to find us, after taking the same false road as we did. He hooked up with us, and just followed as we saved ourselves from the labyrinth-like cave.”

“Those people remember you as their savior”, Lux pointed out. “Whatever the reason is behind, the stories are always made to sound better.”

“Don’t you think you are a hero to someone, too?” Ezreal stared up and left Lux thinking.

“No”, she finally said. “No one remembers me. For when I’m on a mission, I merely collect information. I’m not to draw attention, if not in fight along with other soldiers of my group.”

Ezreal met Lux’s eyes.

“You might have saved someone”, he said. “A soldier, who you forgot right after in the raging fight. You never know what other people think of you, sunshine.”

Ezreal closed his eyes. Lux didn’t say anything more, just stared at the peaceful face of the Piltovian explorer, who sometimes seemed to be so far away, a stranger, even though he acted as if they had known each other for a time much longer than it truly was.


	7. The Final Spark

Ezreal’s face was serious as ever. They stood in Lux’s bedroom, since her parents were off to a dinner invitation without Lux, who’d been to military duties all day long. Ezreal had come in without a warning, asking to have a word with Lux in private.

“What’s wrong, Ez?” Lux asked. She felt nervous.  _ I have never seen him look like that, _ she thought.  _ He is always happy and joking, he’s always smiling. Why is he so serious?  _

“I have finished my research here”, Ezreal said, trying to keep his voice as normal as he could, but Lux could hear a shatter in it. “A few days ago, to be honest. I had a word that I am needed back home.”

“So, you are going back to Piltover?” Lux held her head up. Ezreal turn around.

“Yes”, he answered shortly. Lux took a step forward.

“What about us?” her voice had a sharp tone in it. “Will we ever meet again?”

“Who knows?” Ezreal didn’t even look at Lux. She felt a frog in her throat.

“Do you even care?” Lux couldn’t hide the anger in her voice as she spoke.

Ezreal looked over his shoulder. He had a slight shade of sadness in his eyes, despite the neutral expression on his face.

“I can’t say I don’t”, he said, meeting Lux’s eyes without hesitation.

“But you won’t miss me”, Lux lowered her voice.

“I didn’t say that”, Ezreal quickly stated, turning a bit more towards Lux.

“So, you will?” Lux asked with a hint of hope in her voice. Ezreal said nothing, just lowered his eyes and stood there. Lux took a long, shivering breath.

“Could you answer me?” she almost shouted and took the steps between them. Lux stood right next to Ezreal, looking at his face. Ezreal didn’t raise his eyes to Lux, even though she was close to him.

“Ezreal..” Lux whispered. Ezreal finally met Lux’s eyes again.  _ He is upset about it, _ Lux understood as she stared at him.  _ He doesn’t want to end this. But he has to. He knows it, and I…  _

Lux took a few steps back. She swallowed, took a deep breath and forced herself act cool, as the Demacian pride and the pride of her family required her to.

“Have a safe travel back home”, she said. Lux managed to keep her voice stable, with a hint of courtesy in it. Ezreal nodded.

“I will”, he answered with kinder voice than earlier. “Don’t forget about me, will you?”

“How could I?” Lux whispered. Ezreal gave her a last smile.

“I won’t forget you either, Luxanna”, he said with a soft voice.

Lux forced herself to smile, even though Ezreal using her full first name felt like a stab somewhere close to her heart.  _ I won’t let him go thinking I will cry after him. _

“Try to survive, Ezreal”, Lux’s smile was a bit unnatural, but not as courteous as in public.

“Take care of yourself, Lux”, Ezreal waved his hand while he turn around. “Goodbye.”

“Farewell”, Lux answered to the back of the man she had know for a short while, but who had been closer to her than anyone despite her brother. Ezreal left Lux’s home, feeling the sting in his chest.

_ I knew this day would come, _ Ezreal reminded himself.  _ We both knew it from the very beginning. This should not feel like this. _

 

Ezreal threw his backpack on the chair next to his table. His house was filled with all kinds of artifacts, and the table was full of research materials. Most of his books and papers were in a bookshelf next to the table.

_ I’ll empty this backpack right away, so that I don’t accidentally take any papers with me to my next journey, _ he thought. The backpack was old and several times patched, but still the best Ezreal had found anywhere in Runeterra. It was of a thick fabric and fit well, and was spacious. Ezreal first put the artifact on the table, carefully to not make a scratch to it, and then started taking papers out.

A smaller piece of paper dropped from the pile Ezreal was moving. Confused, he took the paper in his hands and looked at it. The paper made Ezreal smile. It was the drawing the librarian had drawn, with Ezreal and Lux in it. They both looked clearly embarrassed, but at the same time kind of cute. Ezreal put the drawing next to the artifact and took the other papers to a box in his shelf.

 

~*~

 

The evening sun shone bright upon the buildings of Demacia. The white marble took the shades of gold and orange, and made the city look magical. Lux sat on her window sill, looking at the city outside.

A knock on the door woke Lux up from her thoughts.

“Come in”, she called. Her mother walked in.

“You had a letter”, her mother said, handing the letter to Lux. The girl smiled at her mother with that courteous, confident smile of hers.

“Thank you, mother”, Lux put the letter down on her lap. “I will read it later.”

Lux’s mother nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. Before she left, the mother reminded Lux of a dinner she was invited as well on the next day. Lux answered she remembered the dinner and was left alone in her room.

Lux didn’t need to look at her name written on the letter. She only needed a fast sight of the writing to know who it was from.

_ I will read it once the sun has set, _ she thought, smiling out to no one.  _ I want to enjoy this moment of gold, the beauty of the city and the feeling of magic of nature that fills the air. _

And the sparkles were born all around Lux, some of them born of her will, some of the sunlight’s play above the city, in Lux’s blonde hair and blue eyes that sharply darted around the city in front of her, studying every ray and shadow in the eyesight of her window.


End file.
